


Red Flags

by pollitt



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-01
Updated: 2009-03-01
Packaged: 2017-10-05 15:04:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pollitt/pseuds/pollitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John has red flags. Rodney doesn't care.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Flags

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for [](http://sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com/profile)[**sheafrotherdon**](http://sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com/)'s [friendship/flirting/thinking of you](http://sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com/369144.html) challenge. My card was this [this one.](http://pics.livejournal.com/pollitt/pic/000eae25)

John's eyes feel like they'd been rubbed--repeatedly--with sandpaper and he's all too familiar with the taste (like cotton-soaked in rubbing alcohol and molasses) that is clinging to every inch of his very, very dry mouth. If he's not mistaken, and he can't be certain he isn't because wow is he on some great pain meds, he's in the infirmary in Atlantis--John would recognize those beeps and blips anywhere.

The last thing he remembers was the bullet... No, he remembers more. He remembers the bullet, and the pain, and voices that sounded a lot like Teyla, Ronon, and Lorne's yelling his name as the world got *really* bright and tight and he'd fallen.

And then there'd been another voice, Rodney's voice--Rodney who had been doing something (John couldn't remember what, stupid meds) somewhere (another room? against the wall? close?) not where the rest of them had been and hadn't seen John get shot, didn't know he'd been injured until he fell and *then* Rodney'd been there, saying his--John's--name.

_"Just leave it alone McKay," John snapped, pushing Rodney's hands away from his shoulder before they could touch him. If they had, they would've felt the warm, sluggish blood. "I'm *fine*."_

"You're a lying liar of the highest order. Lie. Er." Rodney answered, reaching into his TAC vest and pulling out the field dressing and pushing it, maybe harder than need be. "But you're going to be okay. Okay?"

It takes a couple of breaths and an only slightly effective attempt to get something resembling spit in the desert of his mouth, but John manages to get his tongue unglued from roof of his mouth.

He must have made a sound, because there's a grumble and a rustle and John looks down toward the end of his hospital bed and sees Rodney's there--his head resting on his crossed arms and he's asleep. John looks, checks the parts of Rodney that he can see for any sign of injury, but as far as he can tell, Rodney's safe and in one piece--and John exhales a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding.

"Hey," John says, brushing the tips of his fingers over the shell of Rodney's ear.

Rodney bats at John's fingers, still asleep; and then, with a sudden jerk and quick inhaled breath he's awake.

"What the-- Make sure they don't--John?" Rodney's eyes are wide open, and John can see as his pupil's dilate and he comes into full wakefulness. "John."

Rodney motions for one of the nurses to come over, and John spends the next couple of minutes answering her questions--He's on Atlantis. She's holding up three fingers and one thumb. The last thing he remembers is their mission and, yes, he must have passed out. Yes, he can feel that.

Rodney hovers near the end of John's bed, biting at the skin on the side of his thumb. The nurse smiles and gives him thumbs up before heading back to her desk.

"So what'd I miss?" John tries for a cocky smile--a raised eyebrow and curve of his mouth--but Rodney's not letting him off so easily.

"What did you miss? Well, where to begin... you missed yourself passing out while you were bleeding out. You missed Ronon do some trick with his gun that I swear defied the laws of physics." Rodney moves form the end of John's bed back to his chair, moving it further up the bed, closer to John's upper half. "You missed the four of us having to carry you to the jumper, escaping by the skin of our teeth, so we could get you back here--"

"Did we get what we came for? The data-motherboard something-or-another?"

"Has it not escaped your notice that you were injured?"

"Oh believe me, I noticed. But I also know what the goal of our mission was. Please tell me --"

"Yes, we got it." Rodney rolls his eyes and reaches for John's hand. "And we got you home in one piece which if I am going to be completely honest, is much more important to me."

"McKay," John says, and then, more quietly. "Rodney."

"I can't say I didn't know what I was getting into when your rakish charm got the better of me and I finally fell for you." With his free hand, the one _not_ holding tight to John's, Rodney reaches into a pocket of his BDUs and retrieves, John sees, a folded up piece of paper. "You're reckless, especially with your own life. You have this really annoying --let me reiterate _really annoying_\--habit of going off to certain death to save everyone. Even when there are better and less-likely-to-kill-you ways to solve the problem."

Rodney pauses, leveling his best 'don't you dare interupt me' look at John. "You'd rather ride a bomb Slim Pickens-style than talk about your feelings. You don't talk about your past, your family, and I wouldn't doubt if you still believe that most people have cooties."

_Holy shit,_ John realizes, _Rodney made an actual list._

"And I'm still not certain that you know, that you fully realize, that just as you'd die for any person on Atlantis, that we're willing to do the same for you. And if I have anything to say about it, neither one of us are going to be doing any dying anytime in the near future." Rodney sets the unfolded paper on the bed next to John's leg and takes John's other hand.

"You made a list," John says stupidly. He's not sure what to say.

"I did." Rodney brings John's palms together, his own hands still covering John's. "I'm a scientist. I trust in logic and reason and facts. Falling in love is not logical. It doesn't fit into a formula. And even if I had a list a thousand times longer--I'd still be in love with you."

"Rodney," John says. It's the only word, of all the words and thoughts and fears and _ohsweetchristthankyouyes_, that he can think of to say.

"Right." The tips of Rodney's ears get pink and John can see a flush creeping up his neck and cheeks, and John realizes that Rodney thinks he's said too much. "Well, it's out there now. And now you know."

"Rodney. I," John starts again, but Rodney continues.

"I'm not, wasn't, expecting a reply. You're injured, on some excellent pain medication, and as I mentioned--as I've written on paper--I know you don't talk about--."

"Rodney." John finally interupts, and Rodney stops, his jaw closing with a snap.

Words have never been easy for John, especially the words that meant the most, but he knows that if he doesn't say something now it would be one more moment that he regretted. And Rodney deserves better.

"I'm all those things you've said--always have been, probably always will be--and that's not easy to be with, I know. But I can't imagine not being with you." John turns one of his hands, wrapping it around Rodney's. "And I. You. Too. Y'know."

Rodney smiles, his grin making it from ear to ear.

"I have an idea, yes."

"Good." John reaches up and cups Rodney's face, guiding Rodney's mouth to his.

It had to be good. It was Rodney.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [](http://maverick4oz.livejournal.com/profile)[**maverick4oz**](http://maverick4oz.livejournal.com/) for her beta and cheerleading. I thought I was going to go for a bit of humor with this story, the boys wanted something a bit more serious.


End file.
